–> Book Review: “An aspect of particular importance is his telling how young men who are both non-homosexual and who believe in traditional Catholicism are weeded out of the seminaries and barred from becoming priests. The new orthodoxy isn’t passive; instead, it actively screens out those who don’t fit its mold. The existence of this ostracism is perhaps the main thrust of his book.” [my emPHASis]

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~ MOST PEOPLE IN THE PEWS, assuming the best, think seminaries and theology schools are holy centres for imparting piety, learning, wisdom, and Christ-like zeal to new clergy.

“Surely,” they suppose, “such places are little outposts of God’s Kingdom on earth, training up our ministers and priests into fine examples of preachers, teachers, pastors, and human beings.” You know, just like universities in 2017 are centres of learning, calm scholarship, and imparting the wisdom and skills of the ages to young and eager minds. Not unreasonable– but naive in 2017.

Because, The Asteroid.

The Truth-Shattering Kaboom

Western church & society, 1930-1070s and onwards….

When the Awesome Utopian World Revolution™ was slow a-comin’ after the 1800s and the bloodthirsty Soviet revolt, Communists and Socialists decided to go after All The Things. Schools, and universities; governments; culture and media; business and Charitable Foundations; and especially all the churches. Afterwards, the outside would still appear the same– think all those hallowed & Ivy-clad towers of academe– but the inside would be radicalized beyond all recognition. The key was and is to keep the ordinary suckers mostly clueless, and still attending & paying for it all.

This group of fellow travellers were the Frankfurt School, and they taught the ideas and techniques for subversion. Imagine something which looks & sounds exactly like your dear Auntie Mabel, but she’s actually a pod person replacement.

Unfortunately, a carcass skin suit doesn’t cover the stench of death.

For the churches, the same process that we see bearing fruit now in North American and European centres of higher learning– ignorance, violence, propaganda, safe-spaces, and a lock step progressive/ soft-Communist ideology which brooks no opposition, especially in the extremist professoriate. This same mutation has been ongoing since the early years of the last century. Those boys who died on the beaches of Normandy? Behind them, at home, the rot had begun to quietly settle into the very institutions and society they were fighting for Over There. A bittersweet thought.

Naming Names & Details

A Very Bad Man, Catholic author & tattle-taler Michael Rose. Boo!

In his heart-breaking book Goodbye, Good Men: How Liberals Brought Corruption into the Catholic Church, Michael Rose details the 1990s American fruit of this process– how Catholic seminarians were and are bullied, brow-beaten, threatened, and charmed or coerced into hoop-jumping and ideological mutation– even homosexuality and heresy. If you are at all “rigid™” (believe the faith), or “sexually immature™” (same-sexuality, its militancy, and that many of your fellow students and some professors were barely in the closet), you’d be black-balled– not only from that school or diocese, but almost all of them.

Young vulnerable students have left such places of mis-education utterly broken, or having lost their faith, or become radicals; older experienced students come away aghast, stressed, and boggle-minded at the horrid politics and brutal abuse of the faith and lives of people offering themselves to the Church as potential clergy or priests. Faithful souls are being sacrificed on the altar of political correctness at such places year in and out.

A Lovely Outpost Of Hell

“Pish-posh!” you scoff, “Pish and posh! How bad can it be, really? Surely we must put our trust in such reputable and accredited places to help the church provide decent future leaders for itself.” Pish-posh?.. except, I’ve been there.

The Atlantic School of Theology sits on some muy pricey real estate waterside in Halifax’s wealthy South End. Ironically, some of the Leftist professors in my day lived in small mansions, and many students lived on campus, or in nearby apartments. Looks very spiffy & hallowed, eh? Local Anglicans, United, Catholics, and even Unitarians, go there.

True Story– I Was There

When I attended in 1987-88, one of my professors was a pro-wicca (sorry, “wymyns spirituality’) lesbian, who seemingly predated on some of her female students every year. Another was apparently an all-but-avowed Communist. Still another was openly homosexual (although the best educated and freshest prof there by far).

Another faculty member was a glorified BA, who most assumed was a Ph.D. The liturgy expert (always beware those) was a bitterish radicalized nun, who loved everything about Vatican II, nothing before, and made it clear that the slightest dissent (from The Dissent™) was not welcome. Yet another wonky Roman Catholic teacher told us during the Intro To Theology 101 class that the most important thing in reading in St. Augustine, was what we thought the saint meant. Uh?

Other faculty taught as unquestionable Gospel only the most radical of theories about the Bible, morality, social justice (Marxism), theology, and the like. Our textbooks were mostly in the same line– a critique of classical Christianity, without ever actually teaching what the content or practice and worship of that faith properly was…. Er, oops.

Such A Friendly Place

There was a remarkable amount of smiling and superficial bonhomie, hugs, and slightly creepy touching. Yet at every point, you were always under ‘pastoral’ surveillance for any ‘disaffirming’ (non-radical) opinions on theology, God, abortion, divorce, homosexual marriage, feminism, homosexuality, women clergy, the creeds, and political & social issues of the day. Warms the old cockles.

Smile. Or else.

In fact, if you weren’t sporting a rictus (or smirking) and faux cheery-looking and accepting of everything & everyone at all times, that was suspect, too. Malcontent? Critical? Unpastoral? Grim? Judgmental? Not gruntled, or not with The ‘rich & challenging’ Program™?!?

Not only the professors and ‘academic supervisors’ were on the snoop, but your fellow students were also watching for non-non-conformity, or ‘nurturing community’. Snitching (or “sharing pastoral concerns about X” with the leadership), I suspect, was encouraged.

Step out of line, be non-affirming, rigid, sexually immature, judgmental, narrow-minded, or dare question a prof? BAM. You risked a low grade, a black mark in your permanent record, being shunned by your fellow students and the faculty, and a non-recommendation for ordination. A nice little ‘Christian’ Gulag Archipelago nestled right there on Halifax’s Northwest Arm.

Nurturing. Pastoral. Caring & sharing. Awwk. Even some of the more progressive students found the place rather a joke, and more than a little oppressive. TO be fair, not all of them were “true believers’ like most of the faculty was then.

Like Sheeps, No Shepherds

Modernist theology schools.. where you can lose your faith, and your soul. All according to the plan.

Sadly, many of my classmates were ‘second career’ mature candidates, with little or no university background, or relevant studies. Some were nice people, but barely able to write a term paper. Others were like innocent sheep before the sophistical and practiced academic brow-beating of their wolfish profs– academics who could and did at any moment crush hopes & futures with a bad review, or a word to your bishop or sponsoring group, or sneering and mocking of your ‘naive & pietistic’ faith in class.

Behold the ‘tolerant, affirming, open & flexible’ Revolution. It’s mind-warping and soul-crushing– and designed to be that way, precisely so you will imbibe and parrot the revolution and not The Christian Faith, then spread the infection to others. Or else.

Problem was, I came fresh to the place with a hot double BA in history and Philosophy/ Religious studies. 4.1 GPA. I’d been pushed for Ph.D work, but wanted to do parish work first, then a doctorate. “Narrow-minded and conservative, but warm and cuddly” was my motto for AST.

What Fresh Hell?…

The daily worship at that school was predictably freakish– almost weekly the furniture was moved about, and we might get an angry feminist liturgy one day (with confession prayers only for the males present); or else rainbow stoles & vestments; a pro-Sandinista/ Liberation Theology homily the next; some women galumphing liturgical dance in polyester and chiffon the week after, and then maybe Gaia-Mother Earth and native prayers scheduled for next time.

All this with a progressive/ Marxist post-Christian slant, all done very self-consciously and badly, even if robed or clothed in old-sounding forms. Missing out, or non-enthusiasm (eek!), or non-participation (GASP!) was duly noted.

Who Will Protect Us?

For my own class of first-years, I ended up as unofficial spokesman, despite my odd-man out status. When I announced I was leaving that school for another, several of the feminists– much to my shock– were openly upset (this, in the class poorly co-taught by The Feminist & The Communist.. one day, we even did colouring with crayons). As we discussed my leaving, a young woman classmate broke into tears, and actually said to me “But who will protect us from the professors, and ask all the right questions?”

PROTECT. They knew. What a sad commentary, that. I almost stayed. However, after those same profs tried (and failed) to give me a rotten mark, I knew the fix would be in if I remained there.

Spiritual Mass Murder

Why is the church shrinking, and why are so many clergy so weird? How did we get here?

This spiritual holocaust of the future leadership of the Church has been going on now since I was born… that’s two or two-and-a-half generations of mistreatment, mutation, abuse, radicalization, mis-education of the very people who are supposed to set forth the Gospel to the Church and world, lead on moral, social and theological questions, and save souls unto heaven. Instead, we have hard-progressive or squishy or compromised and shallow clergy, many of whom may mean well, but who don’t have the education or spiritual resources people think they do, and that they should have.

The Canadian & U.S. (and U.K.– Google ‘Maynooth Scandal’) Roman Church clergy formation system has it very bad, but most of the protestant schools are close behind them. It is a horror story, a tale of abuse of trust, fraud, authority, rank heresy, and cruelty.. and a cynical exploitation of the innocent students and financial supporters of such places.

But Wait, There’s Moar!

So what? Here’s what.

(1) Don’t EVER assume your clergy have had a proper education, spiritual formation, or that their cleverness in the pulpit is worth listening to. Test the spirits. Seek out the good ones, and help, pray for, and support them.

(2) If you or someone you know or care for are thinking about going into the clergy, warn him to do lots of deep research, interviews, and fact-checking about the places they are considering. Some are outposts of heaven, most are sinks of hell, or wastes of time.

(3) The “clergy selection processes” in many parts of the church are geared against non-radicals, and are as impartial and fair-minded and godly as an ecclesiastical Gestapo. The gatekeepers are meant to weed out the “difficult”, and pass through the malleable, the naive, the well-meaning, the clueless, or the people who can conceal their real selves and just go through the motions.

(4) If you or any wealthy person you know thinks piling money, bequests, and donations into such corrupted places of clergy malformation is a great and pious work, think again. Starve these progressive outposts of post-Christianity of cash, and do your research properly. Don’t unwittingly aid and abet these outposts of darkness because the people seem nice, and it’s a fancy old building, and the profs talk all holy on founder’s day.

(5) If you’re stuck at such a place, keep your head down, keep in touch with allies outside the place who can vouch & fight for you when the hammer comes down, and do your own course of studies in all the major areas, with the best authors, so you’ve actually learned something in your time. Be friendly and happy.. the predatorial system has broken better far people than you, and spit them out like ground-up bones. Pray, pray, pray without ceasing, for yourself, your fellow students, and your professors. Prayers of light exorcism may also help. You will be scarred, hurt, and mistreated.

ITYS.

Finally, In Conclusions

This abuse-scandal has been largely hidden for 50 years and more, and books like that of Michael Rose– though dated now– lift the rug on the creepy-crawlies, filth and dirty secrets of the radicalized Church, which has captured many ecclesiastical institutions, yet pretended to be the same as before.

And no, DON’T go to the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for any reason whatsoever. Don’t give to it, or support it. Very pretty landscape, though. ~

Look! It’s Theology! And one of those Irritating Yo-yos.. er, Fidget-spinners.

WAS SHE A NICE NUN? I suppose if you think Whoopi Goldberg’s “Sister Act” is accurate history, or a great life-lesson.

The nun-professor (RIP in 2013) was probably a post-war vocation, and then when the Vatican II Asteroid hit and asploded all the things, she joined the revolution. Heaven on earth! Telling all the bad people how to think! The reputation & power of the older idea of a consecrated nun, whilst undermining all the things! Women clergy now!

We talked in her office one day at the theo-illogical school where she taught. She seemed astonished to meet someone who actually still believed all the things in the Creed– without smirking, mental reservations, or intellectual finger-crossing– as if I were a centaur or leprechaun or some other such legendary beast. A hard case.

Oddly enough, opposing the forces of ultimate evil with felt banners, puppet-shows, happy-clappy guitar songs, singing ‘Kumbayah’, and 1960’s churchy cultural Marxism was not found to be so effective. Who knew?

“It’s a ‘symbolum‘, a symbol, a meaningful affirmation of our unity,” she said nicely. Indeed, The Apostles‘ Creed is sometimes entitled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, likely` from Rome.

Younger me piped up. Incorrigible young twerp.

“Well, it’s that, too, but it’s also unity based on common truths, revealed by God in the Scriptures and the life of the Church by the Holy Spirit, isn’t it?”

“You need to go and read about symbolism, and not to over-emphasize ideas”, she said not quite so nicely. After all, too much of that olden-times theology taken seriously, and you might stop fighting for the revolution. ‘Heavenly minded, no earthly use’ and all that.

I don’t recall how the rest of it went, except I was puzzled, slightly mystified by the power of Latin and the ‘Symbolum” thing. You know, how the Revolution undermines and then wrecks actual beliefs, like that hidden rust eating away quietly until the floor of your car is suddenly gone, replaced by… nothing.

Symbolum!

Come the Roman Legion, their symbols over them of Legion and Rome and Eagles and battle-honours; and within each living breast, the symbol or vow of their military promises to serve, not to run, The Senate And People Of Rome (SPQR) and all that.

You see that coming, from 200 BC until AD 400-ish, and you’d better surrender, run, prepare for a fight to the death.

“….And so it was said by the prophet, The breath before our face is the Lord Christ. And the power of this form is shown by your own symbols on what are called vexilla [banners] and trophies, with which all your state possessions are made, using these as the insignia of your power and government, even though you do so unwittingly. And with this form you consecrate the images of your emperors when they die, and you name them gods by inscriptions….”

These were not advertising symbols, like McDonald’s or Nintendo; nor ’empty symbolism’ like a now viciously secular university still preserving the dusty chapel built by the faith of the founders. Or something we ‘affirm’ but not too specifically. It was life and death: for Legion, and your brother beside you, and for Rome.

So the nun might have been nice (she did smile a lot), but she was not being entirely honest about the ‘symbolic’ nature of the realities affirmed by Christian Creeds of the Church. This glowing supernatural true Symbol– like flags or banners of an army, a nation, a clan– represent outwardly the inward promises and abiding truths taught in the Bible– and of God’s promises to us.

Finally?

Every morning I walk the dog, and pray. For me, I say the Apostle’s Creed each morning as marching with the Lord’s Army– of angels, archangels, martyrs, saints, as the promise and rallying cry of a better country, as a spine-stiffening and soul encouraging reminder of the Real, revealed by God in His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our conquering Captain, who has led the forces of darkness captive in a triumph by his dying & rising again. It’s a battle cry, not an advertising jingle, or empty statement.

Try it, in Church, and in your devotions– say the Creed with deadly serious joy, and commitment, since we are all in a battle against evil, Satan and all his works, and the world seeking to replace God. Souls hang in the balance, including mine and yours.

Whatever happens to the West in the next generation, I beg God’s grace that I will not surrender, betray, or fail to serve in my time. Amen: may it be so. ~